CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#.net
MPD
MPD

Reputation: 605

StreamWriter not writing data

I am using StraemWriter to log text messages to a log file. The log file should be created if it doesn't exist, appended to if the file creation date is less than a given time or recreated if created before that time. I am using the class/code below

public static class LogIt
{
    private const string LOG_FNAME = @"Logfile.log";

    public static void WriteMsg(string msg)
    {
        bool append = true;
        if (File.Exists(LOG_FNAME))
        {
            //DateTime delDate = DateTime.Now.AddDays(-1);
            DateTime delDate = DateTime.Now.AddMinutes(-30);
            DateTime fileCreatedDate = File.GetCreationTime(LOG_FNAME);
            if (DateTime.Compare(fileCreatedDate, delDate) < 0)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("DELETE FILE");
                File.Delete(LOG_FNAME);
            }
        }

        using (StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(LOG_FNAME, append))
        {
            sw.WriteLine(msg);
        }

        Console.WriteLine(msg);
    }
}

This class is used by a simple console app run by the Task Scheduler which runs every x minutes.

The message are written as follows:

LogIt.WriteMsg("Log this message");

The messages are logged file when the file is initially created however when the file creation date is past the delete date, the file is recreated but no subsequent messages are ever written to the file.

Any ideas on why?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 288

Answers (3)

Rukshan Perera
Rukshan Perera

Reputation: 150

@MPD No problem. Here is the implementation of the workaround I suggested. Give it a try and let me know if that works. 

private const string LOG_FNAME = @"Logfile.log";

        public static void WriteMsg(string msg)
        {
            bool deleted = false;
            bool append = true;
            if (File.Exists(LOG_FNAME))
            {
                //DateTime delDate = DateTime.Now.AddDays(-1);
                DateTime delDate = DateTime.Now.AddMinutes(-30);
                DateTime fileCreatedDate = File.GetCreationTime(LOG_FNAME);
                if (DateTime.Compare(fileCreatedDate, delDate) < 0)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("DELETE FILE");
                    File.Delete(LOG_FNAME);

                    //record that file was deleted and a new one will be created
                    deleted = true;
                }
            }

            using (StreamWriter sw = new StreamWriter(LOG_FNAME, append))
            {

                sw.WriteLine(msg);

            }

            if (deleted)
            {
                //a new file is created. Make sure the creation time is set
                FileInfo fi = new FileInfo(LOG_FNAME);
                fi.CreationTime = DateTime.Now;
            }

            Console.WriteLine(msg);
        }

Upvotes: 0

Kaveh Shahbazian
Kaveh Shahbazian

Reputation: 13523

I guess you are running this code on Windows 2003 (or maybe XP). If so: When you create a file in some directory at time T1 and the delete it and then re-create it; surprise surprise it has T1 as creation date!

I know this just because I had the same problem on Windows 2003!

BTW I use NLog now and (IMHO) it's perfect and has everything I need.

Upvotes: 0

Rukshan Perera
Rukshan Perera

Reputation: 150

For some reason the file has the initial creation date (first time a file with that path ever created) as the creation date even if it is recreated after deleting. You can check the file properties and see that the log file creation date is always the same. A work around would be to update the file creation date in code whenever you recreate the file. You can use FileInfo class for that.

Upvotes: 1

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